A17659:20
A faithful and most godly treatise concerning the most sacred Sacrament of the blessed…A faythfull and moost godlye treatyse concernyng the most sacred Sacrament of the blessed…
A faithful and most godly treatise concerning the most sacred Sacrament of the blessed body and blood of our saviour Christ, co[m]piled by John Calvin, a man of no less learning and literature then godly study, and example of living. And translated into Latin by Lacius a man of like excellency. And now last of all, translated into English by a faithful brother, no less desirous to profit the weak brothers then to exercise the talent of the Lord to his honour and glory. In declaration whereof, he hath set before this little book an epistle to the reader much more effectuous then in the first edition. Whereunto the order that the church and congregation of Christ in Denmark doth use at the receiving of baptism, the Supper of the Lord, and wedlock: is added. Myles CoverdaleA faythfull and moost godlye treatyse concernyng the most sacred Sacrament of the blessed body and bloude of our sauioure Chryst, co[m]piled by Iohn Caluyne, a man of no lesse lernyng and lytterature then godly studye, and example of liuyng. And translated into Latin by Lacius a man of lyke excellencie. And nowe last of all, translated into Englyshe by a faythfull brother, no lesse desirous to profyt the weake brotheres then to exercise the talent of the Lorde to his honoure and glorye. In declaration whereof, he hath set before this lytle booke an epistle to the reader much more effectuous then in the fyrst edicion. Whereunto the order that the churche and congregation of Christ in Denmarke doth vse at the receyuying of baptisme, the Supper of ye Lorde, and wedlocke: is added. Myles Couerdale
London: printed by John Day for William Seres?, 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This cup of wine is but one body, and yet is it made of many grapes, and so are you but one body although you be many, so long as you be joined together by faith. It comforteth the heart and the lively spirits of the body, and so doth my blood shed on the cross ⟨image 6⟩comfort the soul. By this action have I declared unto you the mystery of the participation you have in me by faith. Use you the same that this your deliverance by me may never slip out of your mind. We have eaten the lamb which putteth us in remembrance of the wonderful deliverance out of the captivity in Egypt, which was done more then a thousand years paste. So shall you eat this bread and drink this cup in remembrance of your redemption and deliverance our of the spiritual Egypt, and from the spiritual Pharaoh the devil. And when you shall be demanded what you mean, by this eating & drinking, you shall say. We where through the sin and transgression of the first man Adam, made bond men and captives to the devil, out of which bondage we could by no means be delivered till it had pleased God the father to send his only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, that he might dye and be an acceptable sacrifice to pacify the fathers wrath. Wherefore the night before he suffered he declared unto us by these visible signs, what communion we have in him of all that ever he deserved for us. And then he commanded us to use the same because we should be always put in remembrance of that our redemption and deliverance, none other wise them Moses did to the Israelites the night before he did by the wonderful might of God, bring them out of the great captivity where in they were holden in Egypt. The words of saint Paul to the Corinthians, do teach no less them I have here written. For he sayeth,1 so often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you shall declare the death of the lord ⟨image 7⟩till he come. And therefore who so ever eateth of this bread, or drinketh of this cup unworthily doth eat and drink his own damnation. Here is a plain declaration of the end & purpose of Christ when he instituted this most sacred sacrament. Forsooth to keep in remembrance his most dolorous death & precious blood most plenteously shed upon the cross.
Thys cuppe of wyne is but one body, and yet is it made of many grapes, and so are you but one bodye althoughe you be manye, so longe as you be ioyned together by fayth. It comforteth the herte and the lyuely spirites of the bodye, and so doth my bloude shed on the crosse